Hopeful Heart
by Andromiel
Summary: (One-Shot) After KH, Sora's heart refuses to believe he'll never see Riku again. (Shounen ai)


Title: Hopeful Heart  
  
Author: Andro  
  
Email: SaintAndromeda@yahoo.com  
  
Genre/Category  
  
Rating: G  
  
Summary: After Kingdom Hearts, Sora's heart refuses to believe he'll never see Riku again.  
  
Pairing : RikuSora, vague hints of Leon/Sora  
  
Disclaimer: I don't own Kingdom Hearts. If I did, certain things would be a lot different. ^.~  
  
Warnings: Sort of spoiler-sh as to what happens at the end with Riku, but most fangirls know what happens anyway. ^^;  
  
Notes: If it seems choppy at some points, it's meant to be that way. Sora's not really thinking that well at the moment. So it might jump around a little bit. I've also actually played the game itself very little, so I'm sorry for any mistakes that I've made.  
  
*word*-Emphasis  
  
*~*~*~  
  
A chilly wind, too brisk to be pleasant howled past the thin shape that stood outside, ankles buried in snow. Ice had long ago formed jagged icicles that hung hazardously from roof ledges. The formations shimmered even in the dark lighting, looking beautiful yet plain to Sora's eyes. It was just frozen water, his mind mind commented with a detached tone. And as thus, it was useless to think about how they looked. Gaze sliding away from the spectacle of nature, the teen curled his arms around his body, bringing momentary relief from the chilly atmosphere. His cerulean eyes focused instead on the vague white cloud that his breath made before it was whisked away by the maliciously playful wind. One moment there, another moment gone.  
  
Like Riku.  
  
Sora's body finally gave in and shuddered violently, from the low temperature and the feeling of despairing loss that swept over him. Oddly enough, tears refused to flow from his dry eyes. He wanted to cry, he really did, but he found that he couldn't cry anymore for anything. For anyone. Not even for Riku. He could feel sorrow and anger at the situation the two best friends had been unfairly thrust into, but the drops did not come. Perhaps part of him still hoped that he would see the older teen again. Sora's heart. His heart stubbornly refused to believe that he would never see Riku again, despite what the logical mind said. It just could not be possible. Riku and Sora had been best friends for all their lives, to be separated was fundamentally wrong in every way. To be angry at each other didn't feel right. It wasn't how it was supposed to be. To never be together again meant there was no reason for Sora's heart to live on. And thus hope remained, and the tears were not allowed to spill.  
  
Giving a gasp, Sora clutched at his forehead, grimacing. Thinking too much those days often brought on pounding migraines that made him want to lock himself in a room and not come out for days. Time passed, and snowflakes began to fall from the sky again when the vivid pounding finally ceased. A sigh of relief was released through pale lips and Sora's tightly clenched jaw relaxed. He still kept a hand pressed again his forehead however, and remained motionless.  
  
It was as if his own mind was trying to stop him from thinking about the whole situation too much. Perhaps it was some sort of self protection mechanism that his psyche had come up with. With all the things he'd gone through in the past few months, Sora wasn't willing to put it past himself.  
  
It took close to a minute before it sunk into Sora's mental awareness that he had sunk down into the powdery, icy substance. He wondered blankly when it was that he had collapsed, but decided that it wasn't worth pondering upon for too long. More flakes were landing all around him, and Sora's mind questioned how long he had been standing out there. He may have been a Keyblade Master, but that didn't mean he was immune to hypothermia, or even a normal cold. Shaking his head from side to side, Sora tried to push himself up, but only sank deeper into the snow. He sighed. Fine. He deserved that for having wandered out.  
  
With a strong jerk he pulled free one leg, until he was half kneeling. Just as he was staring to think about how to stand up completely without falling backwards into even more snow, a warm hand clasped his forearm and pulled him up without much effort. Without even having to look, Sora knew who that other person was. He pulled his head back and stared into the frigid sapphire stare, and his mouth moved before his brain noticed.  
  
"I wonder which is more gelid." Sora murmured out loud, voice husky from hours of disuse and the weather. "The snow, or your eyes."  
  
In a normal state, he would have immediately regretted the action and apologized for the words, for he truly hadn't meant to actually say them to the older male. But they were said and he could not conjure up any feeling besides a tenebrous prying sensation.  
  
Leon did not look insulted. He countered the question with one of his own.  
  
"Why are you out here in the snow?"  
  
The answer was simple. Sora shrugged in a show of being apathetic.  
  
"The cold makes me feel alive."  
  
A peculiar emotion flicked through the stoic gaze, then it was banished and replaced by anger. The warm hand that had never left Sora's shoulder closed upon the muscle with painful strength, twisting the young teen around to face the expert gunblader.  
  
"Don't be *stupid* you brat." He fairly growled, shaking the lanky body he held. For the first time in hours, a clean emotion broke through the hazy fog that had clouded Sora's mind and he stared up in a astonished manner at the man. Uncertain, he whispered.  
  
"What...?"  
  
"Do you want to save Riku?"  
  
"What? What does this have to-" Sora began protesting, trying to take a step back.  
  
"Answer me. *Do* you want to save Riku?"  
  
The younger teen shook his head, trying to clear away useless thoughts.  
  
"Of *course* I do!" It did not occur to him that Leon was referring to Riku as if he wasn't beyond reach.  
  
The punishing grip on his arm went slack and dropped.  
  
"Then don't do stupid things like standing out in the snow brooding. You're too precious for that. Return to the Sora that we all love who you've buried under despair and doubt. You'll never save the one you love if you keep going like this."  
  
Stunned, Sora nodded slowly to show that he understood what he was being told. Again, it never occurred to him how odd and out of character Leon's words rang. Or the slight twinge of bitterness within the last words spoken.  
  
He took a deep breath, searching for the strength inside his soul to go on. He was wading through what seemed to be an infinite darkness. But the power was there, dim, though it blazed brightly when he caught a hold of it. He understood. Being miserable wouldn't help his friends, or get Riku back for him. He was going to have to find his best friend himself. No matter what it took. And he would.  
  
Despite the bitterly chilling cold, Sora's face split into a smile. It wasn't as bright and innocent as the ones he'd donned during Destiny Island, but it was more beautiful and awe inspiring now. Sora had gone into the fire and came out with a few scars of his own, though wiser for the experience. That made the unblemished purity left all the more precious.  
  
"Thanks-for this and for believing I can bring Riku back."  
  
"...." Leon gave a swift nod and looked off to the side, staring at the closed door of the hotel.  
  
"You've been out here for over two hours. Your companions are worried. Go in." His tone of voice implied no arguments were allowed.  
  
Sora ignored it anyway.  
  
"Aren't you coming too?"  
  
"In a bit."  
  
Curious, but willing to leave Leon to his thoughts, and thoroughly drained, Sora plowed through the snow until he reached the doorway and pushed open the door, stepping inside and being greeted by warmth and the abnormally nasal tone of Donald going into one of his periodic rages. His smile faded, but never quite left his face. Now he didn't want to cry anymore, because there was no reason to. He was going to save Riku.  
  
Amidst the swirling flakes and wind, Leon raised his face to the sky.  
  
"...I hate you Riku." 


End file.
